Senior Liberal Democrats today admitted that Vince Cable was “unhelpful” in making comments that appeared to compare David Cameron’s immigration rhetoric to Enoch Powell’s notorious “Rivers of Blood” speech.

Ministers have taken legal advice to ensure measures to stop EU migrants claiming out-of-work benefits for their first three months in the UK cannot be overturned by the courts, David Cameron has revealed, after the European Commission said it was "too early to say" whether they were compliant with free movement rules.